


One Step Closer

by DewingedAngel



Category: VIXX
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Established Relationship, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23226514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DewingedAngel/pseuds/DewingedAngel
Summary: "You look at me with strange eyes. As if you'll leave me soon," Hakyeon expects a laugh in response, a telling off for being so silly, but the small smile Hongbin sends him is enough for his heart to shudder in it's position.
Relationships: Cha Hakyeon | N/Lee Hongbin
Comments: 18
Kudos: 22
Collections: Intoxicating 1.5 - Bingo





	One Step Closer

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm extremely unoriginal and cannot come up with titles myself, it's from Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" 
> 
> Also, enjoy!

Hongbin stumbles across the threshold, and in a daze, toes off his footwear. There is a mild headache beginning to pulse right behind his eyelids, but he still has the presence of mind to place his shoes in the second slot of the shoe stand and slip his feet into the ugly fish-shaped slippers Hakyeon had once bought him on their trip to Thailand as a joke. His heart threatens to beat out of his chest at the memory.

He pinches the bridge of his nose as he struggles to keep the headache at bay, but it only intensifies as he walks his way through the living room and finds the room to be adorned as usual with little trinkets and photo frames of the two of them, laughing openly in some, gazing at each other in the others. 

He drops his briefcase on the low coffee table and drifts towards the kitchen. Hakyeon's shoes are in their place, and that can only mean he's in the kitchen, preparing dinner. 

Hongbin leans against the wall of the kitchen and folds his arms across his chest, and he contents himself with watching Hakyeon putter around the kitchen, humming a soft tune to himself. His heart swells and some of the headache begins to fade away. He lets out a sigh.

Hakyeon jumps, the sauce pan in his hands clattering to the countertop and he turns around with a frown on his face, and a hand on his hip. He purses his lips and shakes his head slightly. "You could have called out to me, you know?" 

Hongbin tries to smile, he really does. Judging by the concern that replaces the frown and mock anger on Hakyeon's face, he isn't sure he really wants to know what his face looks like. 

Hakyeon switches off the gas stove and walks over to him, and cups his face. "You look at me with strange eyes, Hongbin," he says and his voice is resigned, and Hongbin's headache returns with a renewed vengeance. "You look at me as if you'll leave me soon," 

He doesn't know what Hakyeon expects in answer. Maybe a laugh from his side, maybe a sarcastic jab, but he cannot bring himself to do either. He leans into Hakyeon's touch instead, and tries again to smile at him and places a hand atop his. 

His silence is all it takes for Hakyeon to understand. His hand slips out from underneath Hongbin's and he steps back a little. His expression flits from comprehension to anger to betrayal to more anger to heartbreak to resignation all in a span of a few seconds, until a mask slips into place and he smiles at Hongbin tightly, his fingertips digging into his thighs. "How long?" his voice cracks a bit, and Hongbin hates it.

Hongbin wants to reach out, to interlock their fingers, to push away the hair that's falling into his eyes, to hold him, but he cannot. So he clenches his hands into a fist and takes a deep breath. "Two weeks," 

He can see the mask crack just for a second when Hakyeon's face is overtaken with fury, but it slips back into place and the unsettling smile returns. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Hongbin?" 

Hongbin takes a deep breath and closes his eyes to weigh his words. "Because I wasn't sure. Because I believed nobody could come in between us, even if that somebody was supposed to be my destined. I trusted that a soulmate was simply a concept, and that we would still be us," 

Hakyeon looks surprised, his eyes slightly wide and his mouth hangs open. He bites his lower lip and looks away, as if wanting to avoid looking into Hongbin's eyes, as if afraid of the intensity of his gaze, and asks, "What changed, then?" 

"I can't help the way I feel. As if somebody is asking me to breathe in water, and I'm drowning. I didn't want this to happen, hyung, and I didn't want to leave," he replies grimly. 

Hakyeon looks at him, a wry smile gracing his lips. "That's past tense," 

Hongbin gulps, but nods slowly. "Originally, I thought I could work it out, that this wouldn't affect anything," he absently rubbed his chest, right below the sixth rib, "but I kept meeting him in the most unexpected places and we began talking. It's very different, hyung. I hated him in the beginning, but I'm starting to think he isn't so bad," 

Hakyeon regards him silently, his hands now clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were beginning to turn white. "I'm not sure I want to know about him, Hongbin. I'm not ready, not yet," 

"I'm sorry," Hongbin lets his head hang down to his chest. There isn't much he can say or do. He knows he should've approached Hakyeon the second the tattoo bloomed on his skin. He didn't realise at the time, just how much Taekwoon would click with him. Maybe that's what it means for someone to be a soulmate of another.

Hakyeon laughs, the sound so sharp it rings in the silence that follows. "Are you sorry you didn't tell me earlier, or are you sorry because this is your goodbye after all these years?" 

Hongbin sucks in a breath. "I'm sorry this is happening at all," 

Hakyeon's eyes soften. "This isn't your fault, Hongbin. Both of us knew what we were getting into, and we also knew the consequences of not being soulmates. We still took a risk, didn't we?" 

"I don't regret it," Hongbin blurts suddenly and Hakyeon looks shocked just for a moment. 

Hakyeon shakes his head and reaches forward, as if to touch Hongbin, but thinks better of it and his hand falls limply to his thigh. "I don't either. I'm not going to deny this break up isn't going to be painful, but I'm never going to regret loving you," 

Hongbin takes a shuddering breath at that. A ball of emotion rises up to his throat, threatening to choke him, but he closes his eyes and pushes it down stubbornly. This isn't the time, after all. "I loved you, too, hyung. I truly did," 

Hakyeon smiles at his feet. "I know," 

Hongbin takes that as invitation and steps forward, taking Hakyeon's hands in his and making him look up. "Will you go out on one last date with me? For old time's sake?" 

Hakyeon blinks at him. "A date?" 

Hongbin nods uncertainly. "Because I don't want the very last page of this relationship to be of sadness. I want to make you forget everything one last time," 

"For closure," Hakyeon murmurs, looking a little dazed. 

Hongbin agrees. For closure, sure. But also, because he's still a little bit selfish, and wants to whisk Hakyeon away from the inevitable heartache.


End file.
